a tree of life. a tree of knowledge. a tree of soul. a tree of goodness. a tree of her. it was her core. burnt. scarred. hacked. cut. chopped and carved in. it was still there. It was still there! pushing the ashes out of the way, making room for sunlight and water - she nurtured it back to fullness, she nurtured it back to life. and she and her tree held the sky and its moon and together, they danced and together, they grew.